I've started Spanish lessons! That's a really good thing, not just for me, but for all those around me that can't speak English. It is a slow process (and here I thought I'd be speaking Spanish fluently after week one- bummer). I am content now with increasing my vocabulary and putting one sentence together at a time. It may be broken sentences and slow going, but it will come (as everyone encourages me it will). I'm finding my students are excellent teachers (when 10 don't talk at the same time and they talk slowly). They've even learned to write things down for me, because when I see it I grasp it better. Their favorite thing right now is trying to teach me to roll my r's and then proceed to show me how well they can do it compared to my inability. I keep telling them my roller is broken. Spanish lessons are one hour a week, but I am constantly asking Profesora Ruth questions, because she is right down the hall from my classroom. I'm so glad she's patient with me!
My weekends went from very slow to very busy the past couple of weekends. At the end of September my two roommates and two other teachers took a few day off and drove up to Jarabacoa (further in the mountains).
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| lunch on the mountain- beautiful view |
It was a wonderful getaway (in spite of several severe migraines that occasionally took me down). I needed the change of scenery and something to take my mind off of school for a bit. It was definitely a change of pace. Some days we walked to waterfalls (didn't get in because the mud from the rain made it really brown). 
We rode horses along the river. My favorite times were reading on the deck as I watched amazing thunderstorms roll in or making smores in the fireplace during the cool nights.
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| back of our cabin- we spent much time on this deck! |
It was much cooler at night, but still was pretty warm during the day. We could almost bet on a thunderstorm rolling in around 3 pm every day. I spent some of my time floating in the pool looking at the mountains and clouds. It was a great mini vacation.
Last weekend our neighbor, Darlene, took us to Santo Domingo. It is about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Santiago. She had lived in Santo Domingo for many years and knew exactly where to go and how long everything would take. The drive was beautiful. I will never grow tired of seeing the mountains and green rice fields. 
The traffic as we approached Santo Domingo reminded me of traffic back in Chicago, Illinois. 
We went to several places, starting with Columbus' Lighthouse. It is in the shape of a cross and at night the lights make a cross. This is where Columbus' remains are supposedly at, but a couple other countries claim to have his remains too.
The view of Santo Domingo and the Caribbean Sea from the steps of Columbus' Lighthouse was quite breathtaking.We went on to see Tres Ojos (when there are actually four if you count the one you have to take a raft over to get to). These are four bodies of water down in a cave- three of which you could walk up to. It was VERY humid, not cool like a cave you would think of.
Then we drove to the colonial part of the city to see Columbus' son's house. It had replicas of a lot of the furniture and other decorations from that time period. This governor's house was built in the early 1500s and reconstructed in the 1950s. I LOVE the architecture with the stone and arches. I said over and over how much I'd love a house with all those beautiful arches and intricate stonework details.
After touring the house/museum, we continued walking down Calle Las Damas to the mausoleum- Panteon Nacional.
Again, it had beautiful designs and arches. This was where important people are laid to rest. I am really glad Darlene was along to be our translator. Everything was in Spanish and even though I can pick out words, she could help clarify the significance of these places. We continued walking to Parque Colon- the central square of Ciudad Colonial District. Here we saw a large statue of Christopher Columbus (that was home to flocks to birds).
Some especially liked the spot on the top of his head. This place also included the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Meno, which is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, completed in 1540.
We walked down Calle El Conde- a pedestrian only street with street vendors, many restaurants, and a variety of shops. I loved seeing all the colorful paintings for sale along the side of the street. If only I could have gotten a few to brighten up our apartment. One seller saw I was the only one in our group without sunglasses and tried to convince me to buy a pair (not that I could understand his Spanish). We had lunch at a food court down the street.
At the end of the street there is a white marble mausoleum containing the remains of the three founding fathers- Juan Pablo Duarte, Fransisco del Rosario Sanchez, and Ramon Matias Mella. Both mausoleums we saw had the eternal flame.
After walking back up Calle El Conde, we were quite hot and tired from a busy day and decided it was time to head home. I am thankful for Darlene's willingness to take us to all these places.
School has been keeping me very busy. Lesson planning and grading for a teacher are never done (at least for me). Nights are spent attempting to catch up on school work, a short break mentally, and sleep. My students and I have gotten into a good routine during the day. We have pretty much adjusted to Reading Street and Everyday Math. I am finding that I am getting much more comfortable in teaching the curriculum and am now trying to add things occasionally to break up the repetition of the schedule. The differences in teaching in the United States and the Dominican Republic are getting somewhat easier to handle, and God is giving me much grace. I have found that in previous years of teaching I have been able to do a lot on my own, without complete reliance on God. I had fewer students, a smaller school, a more flexible schedule. Here I am finding that I CAN NOT do this in my own strength. Oh, I try! For a short time, until I find myself back on my knees asking God for His guidance and wisdom. And He gives it, just when I am at the end of myself.
Honestly, the last few weeks have been very difficult. I have had daily migraines (more severe and frequent than the ones I had in the states). This has made it hard to cope with the continued adjusting to life here in the DR. I have spent some days laying in bed for hours. I've struggled with the enemy attacking me emotionally, physically, spiritually. Occasionally a good day would come and I would make it through without a migraine or intestinal issue and I would be so thankful (like yesterday)! But what He's teaching me is to thank Him on the rough days too. The days that I think my head will fall off, or my students just did not understand what I was teaching, or my emotions are going crazy, or homesickness hits me. Those are the days I need to choose to be thankful. Thankful that God shakes me out of my complacency, that He gives me one more day to impact these students, one more day to live, a friend who says something that encourages me, a verse that speaks to my heart, and safety. A lady in our woman's Bible study was robbed last week and it shook me up, since she lives one street over from us. I spent days in fear that the same could happen to me. Over the last week God has given me peace that nothing will happen to me that He doesn't allow. He is in control and I can't live in fear. I have to trust His sovereign hand over my life. I will be cautious, but not fearful.
In our ladies Bible study we are going through Jonah. There are so many things I'm learning from the life of Jonah. I've reminded God is a God of grace. It's in my weakness that He can display His strength. I can walk in confidence that He will give me everything I need, when I need it. I can continually yield to Him and His purposes for me, even when they don't make sense. All He requires of me is obedience. Jonah's life was interrupted, and at times so is mine. But those are opportunities, opportunities to let God write chapters in my story that are far beyond my expectations.
I will finish with this. God is teaching me that He can only use me to the extent that I choose to yield and follow Him. I want my life story to reach others far beyond my life here on earth. Today is a day to do just that!
